More than 50 extra beds have been opened across Shropshire’s two main hospitals to help them cope with the huge number of emergency admissions which show no signs of easing.

The Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital Trust has also had to take on additional agency nursing staff with the Royal Shrewsbury and Princess Royal hospitals continuing to run at full capacity.

It has been forced to cancel 200 routine operations over recent weeks to help free-up more beds.

Some patients are being transferred from hospital to care homes when their medical treatment is complete.

But on one day last week the pressure on services was so great that no spare beds were available in any county homes.

Also because of the record -breaking number of patients coming through the doors of the two hospitals, the trust may fail to hit key A&E waiting time targets and possibly the waiting time standards for planned surgery and outpatient appointments.

Financial targets will also be hit by the extra costs involved in meeting the high demand. For example, agency nursing costs for December totalled £547,000 which was £50,000 higher than the previous month.

Overall staff costs during December amounted to £13.7 million – the highest figure during the current financial year and £100,000 above the November total.

But chief executive, Tom Taylor, said today: “I want to be very clear. We are putting patient safety before targets. Things have not quietened down but if we have warmer weather they might.”

Much of the current pressure is the result of elderly people suffering respiratory problems as a result of the very cold weather this winter.

“I think the West Midlands has been hit harder than other parts of the country but I don’t know why,” said Mr Taylor. “This is the busiest time I have known in 15 years in the NHS.”

By Dave Morris